The New Dragon
by Rita Arabella Black
Summary: This is the end of the road for the adventures of Charlie Weasley and my contributions to fan fiction. It's been fun.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on characters created by J. K. Rowling**

**A/N: _Must. Write. Charlie. Weasley_. I've missed him. In my little world Charlie has moved to America, works part time at the only Dragon Preserve in North America and plays professional Quidditch for the Flying American Red Dragons, a USAQL team. He married his "true love" on Christmas day and she (Gretchen) and he live with his 4 year old daughter, Ingrid Johannsen (from previous relationship with Jessica, a muggle) –Rita. Oh, & by the way, this is for Kara.**

Chapter 1

Charlie Weasley was a happy man; totally content with his life. Married life suited him and he had everything in this world he could possibly want: he got to work with his beloved dragons at the North American Dragon & Magical Creature Preserve and he was the highest paid seeker in the USA Quidditch League. Wizards had lost a lot of gold betting on how long his wife Gretchen would put up with him and kick him out; but she seemed as content and happy as Charlie in their Austin home taking care of Ingrid.

Gretchen became a manager of the Texas branch of _Weasley Wizarding Wheezes_ not only because she married a Weasley, but mainly for her keen business sense and uncanny ability to predict trends. She was coming into her own and Charlie was extremely proud of her.

Ingrid was breaking out of her shell every day thanks to the kind and wonderful Minnie, Charlie's house elf. Magic was still new to her, but Minnie kept her entertained and happy. She loved her daddy dearly, but was shy around Gretchen. She missed her mother and Gretchen had no plans about taking away her memories. _She'll come around_, she assured Charlie. In the mean time, Gretchen was a loving parent who showed no signs of impatience or jealousy.

Charlie spent as much time as he could with his family in Austin, but his schedule at the dragon preserve was grueling. He rarely took a day off and was gone for weeks at a time. Once Quidditch season started, he would be able to spend more time in Austin and would be able to see his family more.

So, it was quite unexpected when, on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Charlie apparated to his home. Gretchen was surprised and pleased to see him and Ingrid clung to him while regaling him with stories of the magical things Minnie had showed her.

"I have great news," he told them at dinner that evening.

Gretchen looked at him expectantly.

"Jonas said I could go on an expedition North; a possible new species of dragon has been spotted."

"That is good news, Charlie," Gretchen said, kissing her husband. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure exactly where it is, but somewhere where's it's cold and in the mountains," he shrugged. "Maybe Alaska or in Canada, I'm not sure. It's either a totally new species or one you don't find in North America; maybe a migrating species."

Ingrid looked at her father and frowned. "You're going away? You just got here. How long will you be gone?"

"Six months or so, not sure," he said, patting her head affectionately.

"And what, pray tell, _do_ you know?" Gretchen asked, testily. There was an edge to her voice that Charlie had never heard from her before.

"What's that about?" he asked her.

"Well, you breeze in here and announce 'oh goody! the preserve director is letting me go on an expedition for six months'."

"But Gretchen, it's a new species of dragon. Do you have any idea what that means?"

"That you'll be gone for six more months and someone somewhere will read how Charlie Weasley discovered a new species of dragon that someone important somewhere will insist they name the Great Weasley Dragon or some such nonsense. That's the closest to getting another heir I'll ever see," she sighed shaking her head slowly.

Charlie was very quiet. He stared at Gretchen with a blank look on his face. Minnie decided that it was the perfect time to take Ingrid to her room, so they made a discreet exit leaving a still speechless Charlie and belligerent Gretchen in the dining room facing each other.

After they left, the color began rising in Charlie's face until he turned almost a beet red. He hadn't been this angry in a long time and he sure as hell had never been that angry at his wife. He'd never been one to shy away from a fight or argument. After all, in the Weasley household where he grew up, if you didn't yell, you didn't get heard. And Charlie was known for his temper, but since he met Gretchen, he curbed his anger because she radiated a calmness and inner peace about her. This was one of the reasons he loved her so much. She tamed his inner beast.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" He yelled at her, striking a clenched fist on the dining room table, causing it to shake.

"You know what it is, ," she said calmly. "You still act like you did before we were married; you think it's all about what you want, but I've got a hint for you, there are a couple of other people in the world besides you, Charlie Weasley and one of them is your wife who loves you, but I have needs as well." She pointed her finger into her chest.

"You've got everything you've ever wanted, Gretchen," he said ignoring the most important part of her conversation.

"I want a son, Charlie. Your son."

"No," he said shaking his head. "I told you before we married that I don't want children."

"But why not?"

"You know I don't like kids," he looked at her expression. "Ingrid doesn't count. She's different."

"Please," she said rising from the table. She walked over to where he was standing and put her arms around him, pushing her body into his. She kissed his ear and his neck, holding him tighter until he began to respond to her. "Please," she pleaded, kissing him slowly and deeply. He moaned as her hands caressed his rock hard body.

"Don't," he moaned again, but he knew the argument was already lost or at least, put on hold.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Gretchen was still asleep when Charlie got up the next morning. He kissed her and she smiled. He was glad she didn't wake up because he didn't want another fight with her about a subject that was in his mind permanently closed. He had no idea what came over her, but whatever it was, she probably wouldn't be too happy about his next bit of news. So it was better he not tell her, that way she couldn't get upset.

Charlie promised his best friend, Joanna Morgan-Kingsley that he would spend the weekend with her and a couple of other Quidditch players at an all-girls Quidditch camp in Salem. He'd agreed to it before Jonas finally relented and let him join the research team. The idea of spending three days with a bunch of silly, giggly girls didn't appeal to him at all, but he missed Joanna and was interested in seeing how her and her husband, Jordan's reconciliation was going. He was surprised when she told him that Jordan wasn't going to be participating; he'd stay home with the kids, Kayleigh and Brandon while she ran the camp.

Minnie, the house elf greeted Charlie warmly when he came down the stairs and sat in his favorite kitchen chair. She poured him a large cup of coffee and stood back eagerly waiting for his breakfast order.

"Just coffee today, Minnie," he said stretching lazily. "Is Ingrid awake yet?"

Immediately Minnie disappeared and reappeared holding a very sleepy Ingrid in one hand and her dog Hercules in the other. Hercules growled and yapped at Charlie. He ignored the tiny dog and reached for his daughter.

"Good morning," he said kissing her forehead.

"Morning, Daddy," she yawned as she wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled. "You're warm. Can we go shopping today?"

Charlie laughed. "Shopping? Why do you want to go shopping?"

"Christmas shopping, I want to buy Minnie and Hercules and Gretchen presents. Gretchen's already been shopping. I want to go."

"Shit," he swore. "I forgot about that. I'm sorry, sweet heart; I'm going to Salem this weekend."

"I want to go!" she said very grumpily.

"Shit," he said. He hadn't wanted to mention the trip to Salem at all. "Minnie, I don't want you to say anything about this to Gretchen, okay? She's already pissed at me about the expedition. You can bring Ingrid Sunday and we can spend the day together. I want her to get a look at the school. I'm still trying to get her in when she's six. Maybe if I donate a new library or Quidditch pitch they'll accept her; that's one of the reasons I'm doing the Quidditch camp with Joanna."

The Salem School for Young Witches and Wizards was the most prestigious wizarding schools in America. Many prominent wizarding families had their children's name on the list to attend before they were born. The board of directors of the school frowned on celebrities and the fact that Ingrid's mother was a muggle didn't help his cause any. The Salem witches were quite snobbish when it came to half-bloods. Charlie's only advantage was that the headmistress, Griselda Hopgoode liked him, but she had very little input

That was another thing he and Gretchen argued about. Gretchen and her sisters attended the Birmingham School of Magic in Alabama. She thought Ingrid should attend that school; it was a perfectly fine institution, but Charlie's mind was already made up. Ingrid would either go to SSYWW or Hogwarts in Britain.

Nan and Granddad Weasley wanted Ingrid to attend Hogwarts. Their argument was that it was Charlie's alma mater and all the Weasley's had gone to Hogwarts. Molly was certain that Ingrid's name had already been added to the list of future students. Besides they would see a lot more of Ingrid if she went to Hogwarts.

Hogwarts classes began when the witch or wizard was nine; students could attend SSYWW at the age of six. SSYWW taught reading, writing, and ciphering to the younger children, as well as introductory age appropriate classes in magic and flying.

Minnie swore on her life that she wouldn't mention the side trip to Salem. She was extremely loyal to Charlie and although she loved Gretchen, she wasn't about to take sides against her master. She didn't like the idea of Ingrid going away to school, but Charlie explained that she could go with her to keep an eye out for her. Master Charlie Weasley never went back on his word, so she knew he was telling her the truth and finally stopped being so melodramatic about the thoughts of losing her precious Ingrid.

"Well," Charlie said standing up and handing off Ingrid to Minnie. "I have to go. Remember, nothing to Gretchen, right?"

Minnie nodded.

"And Ingrid don't tell Gretchen; just tell her I'm taking you and Minnie Christmas shopping but don't say where. We'll get her a nice gift, okay?"

Ingrid nodded, excited that she was going to spend some alone time with her daddy. She liked Gretchen, probably even loved her, but she always considered her time with Charlie special and she didn't like it when Gretchen tagged along with them. Charlie kissed his daughter again and walked outside his back door and disapparated.

He apparated to the Quidditch pitch at the school. It was still very early, but he wanted to get a feel of the place before the mass of girls hit the field. He spotted Joanna standing at the entrance of the players' area. He called her name and she waved.

"Joanna!" Charlie said, wrapping his arms around her in a big bear hug. "You're looking good."

Joanna laughed and hugged him back. She pushed him away to get a good look at him. "God, you've gotten fat!" she joked. "Married life must agree with you."

"Fuck you," he said lightly. "Speaking of wedded bliss, how's it going with you and numb nuts?"

"Jordan" she corrected. "One day at a time. He's really trying." She flashed a huge diamond ring in his face. She looked at her ring closely and sighed. "Maybe he'll cheat again and I can get the matching diamond band."

Charlie rolled his eyes. He hugged her again and released her. "So, boss, what's the game plan?"

"Shit load of screaming pre- & teenage witches show up in forty-five minutes and we show them how to play Quidditch. The camp runs through Sunday at noon; we'll have a little tournament, lots of squees and all round goofiness; it's a big PR thing mostly."

"Press will be here?" he asked, suddenly panicked.

"Yeah, of course. The big guys are always trying to promote the game. Why? What'd you do? Forget to tell Gretchen you'd be here."

He reddened quickly.

"No shit? What's the matter? Trouble in paradise already?"

He shook his head. "No, well, I didn't tell her about this weekend because I'm going to an expedition for the preserve and she was kind of pissed off about that. She wants to have a baby."

"Oh."

"Oh, what?" he asked.

Joanna chewed on her thumbnail. "Nothing."

"Come on, Joanna, you have an opinion about everything," Charlie said.

"Did you talk about having children before you got married?"

"Of course we did. I was very honest with her, and I thought she was cool, but now, we have the same fight every time I'm home. It's getting on my nerves."

Joanna was about to say something, but several other staff and volunteers walked up to her, so she was diverted. She organized the volunteers and told the staff that she would assign them to a particular player who would be in charge of a group of girls.

A few members of the press showed up and began taking candid pictures of everyone. Charlie flinched when a group of them started taking his picture. They looked like they were going to ask him questions, but Joanna told them to bugger off and wait on the campers. "There'll be plenty of time for pictures then," she promised.

Several other popular Quidditch players from various teams around the league showed up. Most of the players were females, but Jeremy Shaw was the only player to represent the home team, the Salem Cats. Mary Jane Fiske of the Florida Everglades showed up, along with Piper Carter of the Chesapeake Bay Falcons, the Maceachran sisters, Veronica and Benevolence from the Seattle Salamanders, and the New York Wings was well represented by chasers Acanthia Wright & Zinnia Cherkesov and seeker Sara Cole. Acanthia volunteered when she found out that Charlie would be attending the camp because she'd had a major not-so-secret crush on him since she was a school girl. Zinnia Cherkesov, the former Russian star, heard the rumor that Viktor Krum might be attending, and backed out of her sister's wedding for the chance to meet her hero.

By nine-thirty, the place was crawling with girls, fans, and the press. The headmistress of the school, Griselda Hopgoode made the opening remarks; Charlie made sure he was standing on the dais next to her. The girls were divided into age groups ten/twelve; thirteen/fifteen & sixteen/eighteen. Most of the players volunteered for the youngest and oldest age group, leaving the silliest age. Joanna chose that group and picked Charlie as the other coach.

The group dynamic changed when Viktor Krum showed up to help out. Viktor had retired from Quidditch and had been recruited by the USA Quidditch League as a coach. He originally wanted to coach the Florida Everglades' reserve team, but got talked into head coach for the California Spinners instead. Zinnia fell over herself to volunteer as Viktor's assistant, but he was determined to stay with Joanna. Charlie raised an eyebrow when Viktor insisted in coaching "the little ones," as he called it; in reality Charlie knew (or at least suspected) that he still was love with Joanna. Viktor was too much of a gentleman to act on his feelings while Joanna was still married, but Charlie was certain that he'd be waiting in the wings in case things didn't work out for Joanna and Jordan. The funny thing was, Joanna was totally oblivious to Viktor's feelings. It was as if she couldn't believe anyone might think of her as a sexy desirable woman.

The players worked the kids hard; it wasn't a fluffy exercise; it was real Quidditch. The players, especially the women were determined to see the next generation grow up playing the game. They did manage to make the drills fun and by the end of the first day, most of the girls were too exhausted to cause a ruckus.

After the girls were locked away in the school's dorms, all the coaches decided to go for a night on the town. Salem was the oldest wizard community and there were plenty of shops and bars. Charlie, Jeremy and Viktor were the only men, surrounded by a bevy of very beautiful and slender Quidditch players. Everyone was on a high after the day and they let off steam at the local bar. They were noisy and funny and Charlie found himself enjoying the company. Acanthia was all over him and she was thrilled when he threw his arm around her shoulder and bought her drinks. Pretty soon, Acanthia was very drunk and tried desperately to kiss him. He politely nudged her away, but as he turned his head to talk to Joanna about something, Acanthia landed a wet, passionate kiss on his lips. He struggled for a moment, but then relaxed. He began to kiss her back. Unfortunately this was the exact same moment that reporter Linda Martinez walked into the bar.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Charlie was suddenly very aware that he was being dragged under the table.

"What the fuck?" he cried.

"Shhh," Joanna put her hand over his mouth. "Guess who just walked in the door?" she asked in a stage whisper.

"Shit, Gretchen?"

"No, dumb ass, Linda Martinez. I don't know if she saw you swapping DNA with Acanthia or not."

"Fuck me," Charlie said. He stretched his head just barely over the table. He saw Linda smiling that smug smile of hers as she was making her way through the very crowded bar. "Fuck me," he repeated. "Why didn't you stop me? You know I don't have any brains when it comes to, uh, snogging."

"I'm not your mum, Charlie," she said in an irritated voice.

"Shit! I've been so good, I…"

"Hello, Charlie," a smooth sexy voice said.

"Oh, hi Linda. How's it going?"

Linda laughed as Charlie knew she would. She crouched down so she was eye level and smiled at him. It was more like the cat with the canary smile. "I'm good. You're looking well."

As gracefully as he could, he crawled out from under the table. Joanna followed him. "Found it!" she said, pretending to put on a diamond earring. "Charlie was helping me find my earring. Whew! Better not lose this one, Jordan would kill me."

Linda looked surprised. "Joanna," she said. "Don't you look…hmm. I guess all that marital trouble does a body good. You look fantastic. Really."

"Bitch," Joanna said under her breath.

"And I see Viktor Krum's here as well. Hmm," she said interestingly. "And where's Jordan?"

Joanna rolled her eyes.

"And look, is that Acanthia Wright? My goodness, she looks a little disheveled, wouldn't you say?"

Acanthia looked at Linda and blinked. The hex Joanna shot her before she dove under the table with Charlie was just wearing off. She shook her head trying to clear out the cobwebs. "Where am I?" she asked stupidly.

"Care to join us?" Jeremy asked pleasantly.

"I'm sure Linda is in a hurry and…" Charlie said.

"I'd love to," she said, pulling up a chair next to Charlie. She leaned in and cradled her chin in her hand as she gazed at him. "You've been a bad boy, Charlie."

He didn't pretend to be coy with her. He simply rolled his eyes and turned away from her toward Joanna and grimaced. Maybe if he ignored her, she'd go away. Not bloody likely, he thought sighing loudly. He turned back to Linda.

"You're really looking hot, Linda," he said finally letting his eyes wander to her very ample breasts. She was wearing her signature yellow low cut dress with a flared skirt and an arm full of yellow plastic bangles.

Linda atypically blushed at Charlie's assessment. She hated when he got to her like that. After all this time, he still had the ability to set her heart racing with a mere look or touch. He lightly pushed a strand of hair out of her face. She blushed again, but tried to recover.

"I don't buy your bullshit, Charlie."

Charlie laughed. "Of course you do, Linda. Why are you here when the sports editor could have sent a real reporter to cover the Quidditch camp?"

"In case you didn't know, your little Quidditch camp isn't sports, it's entertainment. And since I'm the leading entertainment reporter for _Witches!_ and the USA Quidditch League, who else would they send?"

"Well, there's nothing to see here," he said. "I'm old news. Nobody cares about an aging seeker anymore. You should concentrate on up and coming studs like Jeremy here," he said pointing to a very drunk Salem Cat.

Linda turned her head and looked at Jeremy who grinned stupidly at her. She wrinkled her nose as she bit her little fingernail. "Nobody cares about Jeremy; my readers love you." She leaned in and patted his chest, lingering for a moment. Charlie took her hand and held it for a second before pushing it away.

"Give up, Linda. I'm still happily married."

"Oh, so you were just getting something out of Acanthia's throat with your tongue?"

Charlie reddened slightly. "Look, it wasn't what it looked like, okay? Can we just leave it at that?"

She cocked her head to the side. "I don't know, Charlie. What's in it for me?"

"Don't start with me, Linda. You owe me."

"Yes, well," she said remembering the unfortunate incident last December when Gretchen's wedding dress mysteriously turned up missing. "I'm sure my readers would love to hear about your escapades without the lovely and gracious Gretchen at your side."

Charlie let out an exasperated snort that sounded at lot like a curse. "Look, Ingrid's coming in tomorrow. We're going Christmas shopping. Why don't you come by and I'll let you take pictures." Charlie gritted his teeth; he didn't want Linda anywhere near his daughter, but as long as he gave her something MAYBE she'll forget about seeing him kiss Acanthia. "And you're the first to know that I'm going on a dragon expedition starting Monday."

"So Ingrid's coming without Gretchen?"

"We're buying Christmas presents for Gretchen, so no, she won't be here. That would kind of ruin the surprise."

"And an anniversary present?"

"Huh? Oh, shit, yeah, yeah, of course. First year anniversary." Charlie looked over at Joanna and made a face. Had he really forgotten their anniversary? One of the reasons he chose Christmas as their wedding date was because he wanted to be able to remember it.

Linda moved over to talk to Viktor, who grunted answered and told her to piss off in Bulgarian. She started had started to push him about why he was at the Quidditch camp, but he refused to answer any more of her questions. Zinnia sided up to him closer and was thrilled with Linda's photograph began snapping pictures of the two of them. He managed to get a candid picture of Viktor all doe-eyed watching Joanna, while completely ignoring Zinnia.

The other Quidditch players seemed to enjoy the intrusion, but Charlie was anxious to get out of there. He ordered another drink, and then downed it quickly, slamming the glass on the table. "Big day tomorrow folks, I need my beauty sleep. Excuse me."

He got up and Joanna jumped up after him. "I'll go with you, Charlie, I'm leaving, too."

The party pretty much broke up after that. Once Joanna joined Charlie, Viktor made his excuses and so did Zinnia. The only one who stuck around was Jeremy who was desperately trying to hit on Linda.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Charlie. We have a date," Linda said winking at Charlie's back.

The camp started early the next day. More drills and teams were picked for a Quidditch match. The younger girls showed off their flying skills and the moves they'd learned and after the awards were given out and pictures made, it was nearly noon.

The last of the girls were leaving when Charlie spotted Ingrid. He ran up to her and gave her a big hug. Minnie and Hercules were nearby, but she was very shy around people because not many American witches had ever seen or even heard of a house elf.

"How's my girl?" Charlie asked swooping her on to his shoulders.

Ingrid giggled. "I didn't tell her, Daddy."

"Tell who what?" he asked.

"That you were in Salem," a voice from behind him said.

"Oh fuck me," he said turning around. "Gretchen! How's it going?"

Gretchen stared at him with a look that if it had been included in a curse, Charlie was sure he'd be on the ground, either in excruciating pain or dead. Standing next to Gretchen was her sister Xan who gave him the same kind of look.

"Any reason you didn't tell your _wife_ you were coming to Salem this weekend? We thought you were on some kind of expedition."

Charlie wasn't sure what he should say. Then he thought it was better if he didn't say anything at all. He held on to tighter to Ingrid while his mind was racing.

"Oh my," said another voice behind them. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Gretchen whirled around. "You want to tell me what Linda's doing here? With you?"

"Not really," Charlie said under his breath. "She's not _with_ me per se. She's here with everybody."

Linda laughed. "I'm just doing my job, Gretchen. My, don't you look, um, comfortable?" Linda squinted her eyes and looked over Gretchen critically. "Hmm."

"Why did you lie to me, Charlie?" Gretchen asked, ignoring Linda.

"I didn't lie to you; I just didn't tell you I was coming here because I knew you'd get pissy."

"_Pissy_?" her voice shot up an octave. "You think I'm pissy now?"

"Uh, maybe that wasn't the right thing to say."

"Ya think?" Xan interjected.

"Look Ingrid and I were going to go Christmas shopping for you. It wouldn't have been much of a surprise if you'd come with us. I wanted to surprise you. Surprise."

"You and I have some talking to do. I'll see you when you get home. Xan, let's go."

The two of them disapparated in front of him. Ingrid looked down at her father. "Uh oh, you're in trouble now," she said shaking her head.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

If Charlie was smart, he would have followed Gretchen home because that was clearly what she wanted, but he decided to go ahead and spend the day with Ingrid and buy some Christmas/anniversary presents. He figured the more he spent on her, the happier she would be. Charlie didn't know Gretchen as well as he thought he did.

The house was dark when Charlie, Ingrid and Minnie (along with Hercules) apparated back. He wasn't sure if Gretchen was home, but he went upstairs to their bedroom and found her sitting on their bed. She looked like she'd been crying and she swiped a tear when she looked at him.

"Hi," he said walking up to her. "I bought you an anniversary present."

She didn't say anything.

He stood over her, not sure what to do. "Are you mad at me?"

She gave him a surprised look and shook her head. "No, I'm not mad."

He let out a sigh of relief and sat down next to her. "I'm glad." He reached for her and she stood up.

"I don't think I want to do this anymore, Charlie," she said facing him.

"What? Don't want to do what?"

"I don't think I want to be married to you anymore," she said quietly.

Charlie had no idea what to say. Should he beg?

Gretchen sighed, "I guess I thought you'd change, but I was being unreasonable when I honestly believed that you wanted this to work as much as I do. I love you Charlie, but I'm not happy and I don't want to end up resenting you. I'm going to move back into the apartment and we'll work on a separation and the divorce."

"Gretchen," he began, but she stopped him by putting two fingers on his lips. She shook her head.

"Don't," she said with a smile that broke his heart.

With a great deal of determination she took a deep breath and started to walk out of the room. Numbed by what had just happened, he started to let her go.

"Wait!" he said, fianlly "please don't make any decisions right now; we need to talk about this. We can talk when I get back."

"Are you serious?" She shook her head. "I tell you what, Charlie, you think about everything while you're gone and come and find me when you get back. What are you going to do with Ingrid?" she asked.

"Minnie will take care of her. Don't worry about her."

"Charlie," Gretchen said, "Minnie is a house elf."

"She'll protect her with her life. I trust her, _she_ won't abandon her."

A strange feeling washed over Charlie. He was starting to get angry although logically speaking he was the one at fault. How could he ever imagine that Gretchen would be committed to their marriage when he just wanted to go off and do things his way? He didn't consider her feelings when he decided that he was going on the expedition. It wouldn't have mattered to him if she hadn't wanted him to go. She was not a factor in the decision at all. Frankly, the only one he considered was Ingrid. That revelation showed him something.

"Are you saying you think I'm abandoning you?"

Charlie was in the middle of his sorting out so he didn't hear or understand what Gretchen was saying.

"What?"

"I asked if you thought I was abandoning you because I don't want to live like this. I need love and companionship, Charlie..."

"Yes, you do," he said cutting her off. "I thought you were happy, but I just realized I'm the only one around here that's happy. Wow," he said after his revelation. "Son of a bitch." He sat down on the bed and looked at her.

She wanted to reassure him, but he cut her off again. "This has always been about what I want. God, I'm a real prick. Why did you marry me in the first place?"

At first, Gretchen thought he was being ironic, but she looked deep into his eyes and saw for the first time the real Charlie Weasley. He _was_ an asshole. No, he was a _selfish asshole_. Maybe he was having an epiphany and that he was on the road to changing his life, she hoped.

"I have always gotten everything I wanted," he said, with the sudden realization, "working with dragons, Quidditch, wealth, a beautiful wife…"

"Charlie, I…" Gretchen said desperately wanted to hold him.

"Problem is I don't think I'll ever change. I realize I'm more upset at the prospect of you leaving only because I hate to lose."

Charlie's harsh words cut her like a knife. She was hoping that he'd say something else; that he was wrong, but he was being honest. She exhaled and nodded. "All right then, I'll be going." She didn't want to move, but she forced her feet to move one step at a time.

She walked out of their bedroom carrying an overnight bag. By the time she reached the first floor, she wanted to heave herself into his arms and beg forgiveness, but one look at his stony expression made her turn back around. Her hand was on the door when she heard him clear his throat.

"I'll send the rest of your things to the apartment," he said.

"Thank you," she said thickly. "We'll talk when you get back."

"Uh huh," he said. He'd replaced her hand on the door knob with his and when she stepped outside he slammed the door behind her before she could turn around or say anything. He waited a few seconds before hearing the pop of her disapparating before he pulled himself away from the door.

He called Minnie and told her what happened. Minnie erupted into a fit of tears but Charlie told her harshly not to waste her tears. She'd never heard her master sound so abrasive before. She sniffed a couple of times before the tears stopped altogether.

"I'll be back," he said barreling out the back door where he disapparated.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Charlie apparated outside the home of his friend and Dragon Preserve co-worker, Mike Hendershot. Mike was a wizard who was married to a muggle. Mike and his wife Lindsey had two children, Trudy and Mike, Jr. and Lindsey was Ingrid's cousin. It was Lindsey who introduced Charlie to Jessica, Ingrid's mother.

"Hi, Charlie," Lindsey said, opening the door for him. "Mike's in the bedroom packing. Go on in."

"I need to talk to you," Charlie said.

Lindsey looked at him expectantly.

"I have a big favor to ask." Now that he was there, he didn't know how to ask Lindsey to take care of Ingrid while he was gone.

"Shoot," she said.

"I, uh, need, I mean, could you keep an eye on Ingrid while I'm gone? I hate to ask, but I don't know what else to do. Minnie will take care of her and help you out."

"Of course I will. Charlie, what happened?" she asked.

"Gretchen moved back to her apartment."

"Oh." She didn't sound very surprised.

"I thought I heard you," Mike said coming out of the bedroom. "Are you ready?"

"Can't wait," Charlie said.

Lindsey looked at Mike and tilted her head toward Charlie quickly. Mike wasn't sure what was going on, but it was clear that Lindsey wanted him to talk to Charlie.

"So," Mike said. "You want a beer?"

"Sure, why not?" he said.

Mike magicked two beers out of the kitchen and he sat down in his favorite chair. Charlie took the beer and seemed to be deciding whether to sit down or not. Finally, he tilted the bottle to his lips and took a long drink. He sat down on the other chair across from Mike.

"So, what did Gretchen say when you told her about the trip?" he asked casually.

"She wasn't very happy. She moved out."

"No kidding?" Mike didn't know what else to say.

"I don't think it was all about me going on the expedition, though," Charlie said finishing off the beer. He played with the empty bottle, scraping off the label.

Mike nodded as he took a drink.

Charlie sat the bottle down on the table next to him and stood up. "Well," he said, "I've got a shitload of stuff to do, so, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going to be dropping Ingrid off and Minnie'll be helping Lindsey out."

"Charlie," Mike said, standing up, "are you all right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good. I'm just trying to reprogram my head."

Mike knew his friend well enough not to pry. He'd talk when he was ready, not before. He was concerned that he might be repressing his actual feelings. After all, he just told him that his wife, the woman that Charlie, the commitment-phobe, married, had moved out of their house. He had said it so matter-of-fact that on the surface it didn't appear that he was all that bothered; inconvenienced, yes, but not broken hearted.

"Okay, then," Mike said. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Charlie smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Can't wait."

He went outside and disapparated with a loud pop and appeared at his back door. Minnie was looking out the kitchen window clutching Hercules tightly. Charlie waved to her and walked inside. Minnie looked worried.

She magicked a beer out of the refrigerator and opened it for him. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Minnie, Ingrid's going to be staying with Lindsey Hendershot while I'm gone. I'm not sure how long I'll be there, but I've got four months before I have to report to training camp."

He knew she wouldn't disobey him, but she looked horrified at the prospect of being away from Ingrid for any amount of time.

"Master Charlie," she began, "Minnie thinks it would be better all around if Minnie kept Ingrid…"

"Don't worry, I want you to go with Ingrid and help Lindsey. It would be kind of awkward if muggles saw Ingrid here without adult supervision."

"Minnie is 128 years old, Master Charlie…"

Charlie grinned. "I don't question your ability and I trust you absolutely, but I'm afraid non-magical people wouldn't understand and I just can't take that chance. You do understand, don't you?"

Minnie sniffled and nodded sadly. "Minnie understands."

"Take care of my girl, Minnie."

"With Minnie's life, Master Charlie," she vowed and Charlie believed her.

"You can bring your demon dog with you, too," Charlie said, referring to Hercules, Minnie's very badly behaved Chihuahua. Minnie burst out crying clutching Hercules to her chest. She was afraid that Hercules wouldn't be welcomed and she was so attached to her that the thought of having to leave her beloved dog alone caused her great anxiety.

Charlie stayed up all night, sitting in his favorite chair, drinking beer. He didn't say a word, but stared out at the Christmas tree that Gretchen and Ingrid had put up. Most of the ornaments were eye level with a growing four year old, but Gretchen allowed her to decorate the tree the way she wanted to. One of the "forever" ornaments was a picture of Charlie and Gretchen holding Ingrid on their wedding day. There weren't any presents under the tree yet, but there were a few small things made by Ingrid for him and Minnie and even a gift for Hercules in their stockings. Gretchen's stocking was missing.

By the time the sun rose the next morning, Charlie knew exactly what he was going to do.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Charlie kissed his daughter good-bye. She was still sleeping but stirred and smiled and mumbled "Bye Daddy."

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart," he told her.

Minnie was waiting for him downstairs with a large cup of coffee. She was cheerier than she was the night before and seemed to be looking forward to going to the desert with Ingrid. She handed him the coffee and looked at him expectantly. Charlie took a large gulp and sat the mug on the counter.

"What do you think I should do?" he asked. He'd already made up his mind, but he wasn't averse to listening to Minnie's opinion. Minnie's only concern was the safety and happiness of her master and Ingrid. She would say what she thought would be the best for them.

Charlie was sure that his house elf would plead the case to remain with Gretchen. After all, he seemed to be happier than he'd ever been before. She didn't have to worry about him getting in fights or drinking too much. Married life had settled him down.

"Think I should give her a chance to cool off?"

Minnie was petting Hercules when she looked up at him. She hugged the dog and set it on the floor. "Master Charlie Weasley," she began, "Minnie loves Gretchen; she is a good witch, but Minnie doesn't believe she's right for her master." Minnie looked down quickly when Charlie's head shot up.

"She doesn't understand Master Charlie Weasley's heart."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. He wanted to say something, but decided to wait on Minnie to explain. It took the longest time and he started to believe she wasn't going to say anything else. Finally, he looked at her and she seemed to be struggling with the words. She was choosing what she was going to say very carefully.

"Minnie knows where you heart lies. Your heart lies in Ingrid, but if you didn't have Ingrid, you would be where your heart is: in the desert with the dragons. Master needs to find his new dragon; that's where his soul is."

**A/N: This is the shortest chapter I've ever written, but I wanted to get back to this story. Thanks for your patience. Rita.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Charlie didn't have time to think about what Minnie said once he got to the Dragon Preserve; for once everyone was leaving on time and Charlie was running late. Lindsey was interested in finding out what was going on with him and Gretchen and Ingrid was wimpy and clingy and didn't want to let go of him.

The director of the Preserve, Jonas was waiting for him when he arrived.

"Hi Jonas. Sorry I'm late."

Jonas waved his hand dismissively. "No problem," he said. "I just wanted to talk to you before you left."

Charlie looked at him. "Okay. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. I just wanted to tell you that you'll be meeting up with a group who has been exploring the area."

"And?" Charlie asked.

"They're paleontologists; muggles."

"Oh. Well, that's new."

"Yes. They found some bones of a creature they couldn't identify and they got real excited. They think they've found a new species of dinosaur. We tried to get them to bow out of the expedition, but they wouldn't budge."

"Who do they think we are?" he asked. "I assume they don't know we're wizards."

"Right. Your team is a privately funded group from Mexico and you are also searching for a new species of dinosaur."

Charlie nodded, understanding the ruse. "Why didn't you just zap everyone with a memory charm and make them cluck like chickens?"

"Very funny, Charlie. The Secretary of Magic is why. For some reason, he thinks it's a good idea to be ass-deep in muggles while you find the new dragon."

"Swell," said Charlie. "This might be entertaining at least."

Jonas laughed. "Amuse yourselves all you want, just keep the muggles from discovering the dragon. Oh, and you're in charge of security. The head muggle thinks you and Sanchez are there to protect the group."

"Well, shit, Jonas. Anything else you want to tell me before we leave? Do the others know about them yet? Mike can handle muggles, but I don't know about Wolfgang & Boo."

"That's why you and Mike are there, Charlie. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. Don't kill anybody, okay? And make nice. I'm counting on you to use your charming personality to keep the muggles clueless."

"Uh huh. I still think a good memory charm will do the trick."

"We get a lot of our funding from the Department of Magic; don't screw this up for us."

"I'll try. Have you thought about what the muggles might do if Wolfgang transfigures himself into a bird right there in front of them?"

"I never said this was a good idea, Charlie. This is the only way we're going to get the funding for this or any other expedition in the next fifty years. You're rich; could you afford to fund this?"

"If I had known about this I may have been able to talk some of the USA Quidditch team owners to help fund it and kept the DOM out of our business." Charlie said.

"Remember the last time we had private backers?" Jonas asked, reminded him of the debacle the Preserve went through when it was turned into a tourist attraction, which not only was a huge mistake, it was also extremely dangerous for the hapless wizards who thought it would be fun to play with desert arachnids and sirens.

"Good point. But we did have the blessings of the Department of Tourism." Charlie sighed and shook his head. "Okay, boss. I'll keep everyone alive and totally clueless."

"That's my boy. And Charlie? I'm real sorry about you and Gretchen."

Charlie shrugged. "Me, too."

"The rest are waiting for you at the port key. Good luck, Charlie. Bring us back a new dragon."

"I'll try. See you in a few months."

Jonas nodded and turned back to go into the main headquarters of the North American Magical Creature and Animal Preserve. Charlie walked to the designated point where the port key would take the party deep into the mountains. He wasn't sure which mountain range but at that point it didn't matter; he was going to find a new species of dragon. A dragon never before recorded and one of his only hopes was that he and his team, which included Mike Hendershot, Ricardo Sanchez, and Wolfgang Gomez. Wolfgang, who was Mexican who had a German mother, was one of a few animagi in North America. His official title was chief researcher and census taker. He was rather standoffish and Charlie figured he was least likely to bond with the muggles.

Ricardo, or "Boo", as Charlie called him was one of the coolest wizards Charlie had ever met. He had a barrio look, but was one of the nicest wizards Charlie knew. Ricardo was very intimidating figure. He looked like the stereotypical gang banger. His arms, neck and chest were covered in tattoos. He wore a bandana and a lot of leather. Charlie had known him for a long time and fought alongside him when he battled a very evil wizard named Ares, a former Death Eater, who came to America with the single goal of subjugating muggles and wizards and ruling in an Age of Dark Magic.

Charlie, Ricardo, and Wolfgang belonged to E_l Ejército de la Justa;_ The Army of the Righteous, a wizard army that protected people against evil magic. Wolfgang and Ricardo remained active members while Charlie had retired from the group after the defeat of Ares. The Army still protected the region and worked with The Society of Fred, an anti-dark magic group founded by Travis and the Two Tex's in Austin in honor of Charlie's brother Fred. E_l Ejército de la Justa _and the Society were two of the reasons the American Department of Magic and _Departamento y Regulación de Mágicamente Seres __of Mexico _started taking the threat of dark magic and evil wizards seriously_._

Charlie was only slightly surprised that Mike would be going with the group. Mike Hendershot shared his passion for dragons, but he was a family man and rarely spent any extra time away from his wife and two children.

Holcomb Briggs, Director of the Advanced School for the Study of Magical Creatures, was waiting with four students of the school who were excited to be a part of the study. He waved enthusiastically at Charlie while the students stood stunned at the approaching Quidditch star. Charlie winced; may as well get over the initial star struck reaction so he could do his job. The funniest part was how hard the students were trying to act nonchalant.

"Doctor Briggs," Charlie said, extending his hand. "Isn't this exciting?"

Briggs beamed shaking Charlie's hand. "Absolutely. I wish I was going with you, but we'll be well represented by four star students. Let me introduce them. Let's see; this is Dan, Dean, David and uh Dawn."

Charlie shook each of their hands, welcoming them to the expedition. He then introduced them to the other team members.

"This is going to be loads of fun," Dean or Dan said; no one could tell them apart yet.

"Yeah," repeated Boo, "Loads."

**A/N: I'm bringing back some old characters from some of my other stories, especially The Return of Ares, which is a rather dark story, but features Boo and Wolfgang. I hope you visit the North American Dragon Preserve website. There's a link to it as well as the USA Quidditch League on my profile. – Rita **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The base camp for several miles where the port key set them down, so with equipment in tow, the group trekked to the area they set up as headquarters. Along the way, Charlie told them about the party that they would be working with. Everyone promised to play nice and not reveal the real reason they were there. Charlie had no idea when the muggles would show up and wondered whether his group would be able to keep the secret. Finally he decided that muggles were for the most part oblivious to all things magic and were more likely to attribute the magical for the coincidence.

It was fairly obvious that none of the star students sent on the expedition had any experience outside of the classroom, but they were enthusiastic learners. They all seemed to be terrified of Boo, wary of Wolfgang, and in awe of Charlie. After all, how many times does one get the opportunity to work alongside a world famous Quidditch player?

Technically speaking, Wolfgang was in charge of the expedition, but he was so anti-social and managed to disappear every morning right before dawn and evenings right at sunset that the team began to depend on Mike as the leader. Wolfgang didn't seem to mind. He considered himself a researcher and went on scouting missions (in his bird form) and was happiest when left alone. The only time he engaged in conversation was when he and Charlie argued about Quidditch. He was an enormous fan of _Atletico Mineros de San Luis_ of the Mexican Quidditch Association.

Charlie was beginning to believe that they would never hook up with the muggles, but they showed up on the third day, loaded down with gear that none of the wizards recognized. Three of the four students watched in amazement as the scientists methodically set up their camp. When the tents were pitched, Dan looked confused that the inside of the tiny two man tents had room for only two men. He was about to ask one of the university students who had joined the expedition, when Charlie cut him off.

"I'll explain it later," he told him, shaking his head. "No magic," he whispered. "And it wouldn't be a good idea to invite any of them inside our tent, either."

Their tent had been magicked to accommodate the whole team and it included a toilet and Jacuzzi tub and kitchen complete with dining area. "Oh yeah," Dan said.

The muggle team was led by a college professor named Dr. Leland Smith, who was apparently some kind of department head. He was a smug, egotistical man who looked down on Charlie and the others and had no tolerance for those who didn't work hard enough to make him look good. The second in command was Dr. Sheila Preston, the pleasant worker-bee of the group. She had led the original study and found what she believed to be the fossils of a flying dinosaur. She rushed back with the proof and Dr. Smith intercepted her work and decided to take over the project. He stayed in his tent and told no one to bother him unless they found something significant.

There were five intern graduate students who worked closely with Dr. Preston. Charlie figured any one of them would throw her under a bus to win favor with Dr. Smith. He liked her, but she was too naïve for her own good. She believed that Smith would at least acknowledge her part in the discovery. It was really too bad they wouldn't find the dinosaur.

One of the muggle interns discovered a small cave on the side of the mountain near the command post was. He also found bones inside the cave. Carefully, he removed the bones and was on his way to Dr. Smith when Boo and Charlie intercepted him

"What cha got there, hombre?" Boo asked casually, blocking his path.

"I have to get these to Dr. Smith," he said.

"Where'd you find them?" he asked.

The man pointed to the cave entrance. "Over there."

"I don't see anything," Boo said as the nonverbal disillusioning charm concealed the cave.

"Are you blind, man?" the intern said, turning. "It's right, uh, where's the cave?"

"Those are mountain lion bones," Charlie said glancing at the bundle wrapped carefully in burlap. "_Confundo!" _

"Wait! What? Are you sure? That makes no sense? Why would I… I'm looking for fossils."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah. Why don't you give them to me and I'll get rid of them for you. Wouldn't want you to piss Dr. Smith off."

"Oh right! Thanks." He handed the bundle to Charlie.

"Merlin, these guys are easy," Charlie said watching the poor man turn left, then right, and finally wandering back to the original digging site.

"That was close," Boo said.

They took the bag back to their tent. He put the bundle on a long table and opened it carefully. Mike, Boo, and Charlie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. They looked at each other and grinned. _Yes! It was dragon bones!_

They stood in awe and Charlie felt a tear falling down his face. Surprised at the emotion, he swiped the tear away and looked at Mike, who had the same soft look in his eyes. This was a remarkable moment for the wizards. They had to find out if the bones were of a known dragon or, as they suspected, the new species.

"What if this was the only one?" Boo asked.

"We have to explore the cave."

"Absolutely." Mike said.

"Do you think we can get rid of our guests?" Boo asked irritated. "By the way, how in all that is magical and good did we manage to get stuck with these muggles?"

Mike sighed heavily. "Unfortunately Dr. Preston chose the exact same spot that we were looking for our dragon at the very same time. Of course the Department of Magical Creatures has a new boss, and the only word she heard at the monthly director's meeting was, cooperation with the non-magical types, so all of a sudden now we're sharing space. The department also wanted to make sure that the non-magical world doesn't discover there are real dragons, so it's up to us."

"The problem is the non-magical world really does want to believe in dragons," Boo said.

"Yeah, but the good news is it's only twelve year old girls and one thirty year old man who still lives in his mum's basement." Charlie said shaking his head.

Mike snorted a laugh but Boo looked confused and obviously didn't get the joke.

"Someone want to get the interns?" Mike asked. "What about Wolfgang?"

Boo shrugged. "Who knows when he'll get back? I say we just kind of stroll over there, not to attract too much attention because that smart one, what's her name?"

"Dr. Preston," Charlie supplied.

"Right, Dr. Preston. She's pretty much on the ball."

"You're right about that. God, she's curious," Mike said. "We should wait until dark; the muggles never go out after the sun goes down. But what if they go snooping around there?"

"No worries about that, Mike. The disillusioning charm will last a full week. They'll never find it." Boo assured him.

"Excellent. What about the dumbass that found the bones?"

"His head will clear in about an hour. He'll doubt what he found." Charlie said.

The man stood around inside their tent strategizing, when they were interrupted by a soft rap on the canvas door.

"Yoo hoo," a soft voiced chirped. "Anyone in there?"

"Yes?" Boo asked in a threatening manner.

It was Dr. Preston. "Uh, I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you gentlemen."

The men looked at each other; Mike threw a cloth over the bones. "We'll be out in a second," he said.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Sorry," Charlie said sticking his body out the tent flap. "The place is a mess. What can we do for you?"

"I hope you don't mind me being so nosy, but I'm curious about a few things," she said.

Charlie looked at her expectedly as Mike and Boo exited the tent. "Sure," he said. "Shoot."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Recap (since it's been so freaking long since I've updated): Charlie's a lot happier in his marriage than Gretchen, who wants a little Weasley and we all know Charlie does not. It gets even worse when Charlie tells Gretchen that he's going away somewhere (still not sure where) to look for a new species of dragon and will probably miss Christmas and their first anniversary. That's the last straw and Gretchen decides she's had enough. Does Charlie do the right thing and abandon his dream of finding the new dragon in order to save their marriage? Uh, no. Now he and some old buddies from the North American Dragon Preserve are in the mountains, along with a group of muggle paleontologists who think they are looking for a new species of dinosaur. Now Charlie's about find something so awesome that will change his life forever. Thanks for hanging in there. Rita**

Chapter 9

Dr. Preston was a tiny woman and she had to look up to look at Charlie and the others who towered over her. She seemed to always be in a good mood especially when she was dirty and digging for fossils.

Now she seemed to be reluctant to talk about what she was curious about. Charlie waited patiently.

"So, you gentlemen are from Mexico?" she asked.

"No," Charlie said. "I'm from England."

Her face reddened. "I mean," she said, "your group works for the Mexican government."

"No," Charlie said. "Ricardo and Wolfgang are from Mexico and Mike and the interns are from America."

"Oh. Isn't the Mexican Department of Antiquities funding your expedition?"

"No, it's private funding."

"Are you paleontologists? The reason I ask if that you don't seem to have a bit of interest in the dig site."

Charlie cocked his head to one side, waiting for her to continue.

"And what of Doctor Gomez? He's never around and when my assistant showed him a fossil he'd found yesterday, he didn't seem to know what it was."

"What's your point, Doctor Preston?" Charlie asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"My point, Mr. Weasley is I don't think you are scientists at all but I cannot fathom why you are here. Unless…"

"Unless?" Charlie said, grinning.

At that very moment Wolfgang appeared out of seemingly nowhere, startling Doctor Preston.

"Wolfgang," Charlie greeted him warmly. "Doctor Preston here doesn't believe we're paleontologists."

"Is that right?" Wolfgang asked looking at the young woman.

"And she was about to tell us what she thought we were."

"That'll be interesting," Wolfgang said. "So madam, who do you think we are?"

"Security forces," she blurted out. "I think there is something top secret around here that the government doesn't want us to find and you're here to make sure we don't get too close."

Wolfgang and Charlie exchanged looks. "Well," he said finally. "Sounds as good as anything else," he said and walked away.

"I'm right, aren't I? Doctor Gomez, please don't walk away from me. I must know what's going on." She started after him, but Charlie grabbed her arm.

"I don't think you want to bother him right now. He gets a little, um, grumpy," Charlie said pulling her back.

Wolfgang was about five steps away from her when he stopped. Without turning around, he called back at Charlie. "Why don't you go ahead and tell her who we are and what we're really doing here?"

"Seriously?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, why not? They aren't going to remember any of this anyway."

"That's true," Charlie agreed.

Boo shrugged and nodded. "Good point."

Dr. Preston looked at the men oddly, and then her eyes got big and she looked frightened. _Tell her what? _She wondered.

Charlie grinned, showing a lot of teeth. "Sheila," he said. "May I call you Sheila?" He took a step toward her and draped his muscular arm across her shoulder.

"I, uh," she stammered. "Yes, I suppose."

"Brilliant. I want to show you something," he said dragging her toward the edge of a cliff.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I promise."

Charlie held the struggling woman as he walked her to the place he had concealed the cave. The front part of the cave was typical of a cave, shallow and actually nothing spectacular. When he pulled her inside, he could barely stand up. It soon became apparent that there was more to the cave than the front of it. The back of the cave wall glowed with an eerie yellowish red, turning almost orange.

Sheila gasped. "What the hell is that?" she asked, walking toward the back of the cave.

"Merlin's beard," Charlie said pulling out his wand. He turned to the front on the cave and stuck his head out. "You have got to see this!" he yelled.

Suddenly the cave got very full. Mike and Boo pushed their way inside, shoving Dr. Preston out of the way.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" he asked.

Both men shook their heads. "I'll find Wolfgang," Boo said. "Don't do anything without me." He was so excited that he disapparated in front of Dr. Preston, whose back was push against a big rock.

"What is going on here?" she demanded.

Charlie and Mike were too busy talking to notice that Dr. Preston had moved to the back wall of the cave. She started to put her hand on the glowing rock, but Charlie threw a hex at her causing her to collapse on the floor.

"Don't touch that," he commanded.

Stunned, she let Charlie help her to her feet.

"What's going on here? What just happened?" she asked, shaking her head, trying to focus. "And why is it so hot in here?"

Mike and Charlie looked at each other. It was hot in there. They grinned at each other. "What do you think?" Mike asked him.

"A nesting room right behind that wall," Charlie answered.

"Yep," he agreed.

"A what?" Sheila asked.

Mike ignored her. "I've never seen one? Have you?"

"No," Charlie said. "Not in Romania. They don't group. The only place I've heard of that is in China."

"Yep. That's what I'm thinking, too."

"And what is a Chinese dragon doing in the mountains of where-ever-we-are America?"

"Excellent question, my friend."

"Excuse me," Sheila yelled. "Did you say dragon?"

Mike gave Charlie a look and he started to hex her again, but she ducked and the light from his wand bounced off the rock.

"Don't do that!" she said cowering slightly. "What are you doing?"

"Stay back," Mike said.

"Not bloody likely," she said. "I have to know what the hell is going on here."

"It's dangerous. Trust me."

"Not bloody likely," she repeated. "Are you guys wizards?"

"What?" Charlie asked. "No. What? No. Are we what?"

Sheila rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid. Obviously you aren't normal humans. I knew something like this was going to happen. I thought you were CIA, but no, this is totally different. You have to be wizards or something. And you're not looking for dinosaurs; you think there's something else in there."

Mike looked at her calmly. "Dr. Preston, you need to settle down and relax. Do you want to be hexed again?" He pointed his wand at her.

She shook her head. "This is like a dream," she said.

"Exactly. It is a dream. You need to calm down and I promise everything is going to be just fine."

Her eyes were full of panic, but she nodded. "Okay. You won't hurt me?"

"No, but you have to do everything we tell you. Understand?"

She nodded again. "Not really," she said. "Understand, I mean."

Mike smiled. "I know."

Sheila felt herself go into a trance-like state, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. Why had the word _wizard_ been her first thought to explain what was happening? She had no idea; maybe it was some fairy story she'd read when she was young about wizards and dragons. Dragons didn't exist.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Mike and Charlie waited as patiently as they could until Wolfgang and Boo walked into the cave.

"This is incredible," Boo said, moving closer to the back wall.

"This is why we're here," Wolfgang said. "When did it start to glow?"

Charlie shrugged. "Couldn't have been too long ago; the muggle who found the bones didn't mention it, and I think that would have been the first thing out of his mouth."

"Right," Wolfgang said.

"Have you ever seen anything like this before?" Mike asked.

"Not exactly," he said. "But haven't you both something similar in the mountains? But that wasn't a nesting cave, was it? Wasn't it a portal or some sort?"

Boo and Charlie nodded. "Oh yeah, Zephas, the zombie queen demon's portal." Both of them shuttered.

"Zombies?" Sheila asked. "Demons?"

"That was a long time ago," Mike explained. "Ricardo and Charlie were fighting-oh, never mind, you wouldn't believe it anyway."

"Or remember," Boo laughed.

"Are we going in now?" Charlie asked, excitedly.

Everyone, except Sheila, who couldn't decide if she was terrified or just really pissed off, looked at each other and nodded. Charlie dried his dampened hands on his jeans, clutched his wand tighter, and took a deep breath. "Ready?" he asked.

"Wands at the ready, brothers," Mike said.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Charlie said. "What about Sheila?"

The three wizards turned and looked at Sheila who was still huddled against the side of the cave.

She pushed herself up. "I'm going with you!" she said.

"No!" Four voices rang out. "It's too dangerous," Mike continued.

"You can't stop me," she said.

"Uh, yes we can," Charlie said.

"Oh, okay, you can stop me, but please?"

"No!" The four of them shouted again.

Wolfgang was about to hit her with a paralyzing hex when the back of the cave began to pulsate and the light started to build in intensity. There was such a force that the wizards were struggling to hold on to their wands.

"Get the woman out of here!" Wolfgang shouted. Charlie aimed his wand at Sheila to get her out of the cave, but he couldn't control it. Suddenly a force from behind the back wall shot a light that engulfed the woman. Before the others could react, Sheila was pulled inside, disappearing into the back wall.

They stared at each other for a split second. "That's not good," Boo said.

The light disappeared and the wizards could not hear a sound from the back. Sheila's screams cut off as soon as the rock became dark.

"How are we going to get back there?" Charlie asked.

"No idea," Wolfgang said.

"But we have to try," Charlie insisted.

Wolfgang stared thoughtfully at the wall, rubbing his chin. "Sure, absolutely." He pointed his wand at the wall, and then stopped. "If we blast it, Dr. Preston may be right behind it and the explosion would crush her."

"Assuming that she isn't already dead," Mike said.

"Of course," Wolfgang agreed.

"Well, we have to try," Charlie repeated.

"Disapparate?" Mike suggested.

Wolfgang shook his head. "Too dangerous. We could apparate into solid rock."

"That's true," Boo said.

"Maybe there's a way in somewhere else," Charlie suggested.

"Hell's bells," Mike said, "we're wizards. Surely we can figure this out. We've got to do something to help her."

"Charlie, why don't you try to speak to it?" Boo suggested.

"What am I, Harry Potter? I'm not a parselmouth."

"A what?" the others asked.

"Sorry. Harry Potter could talk to snakes. He just opened his mouth and communicated."

"There's a snake behind the wall?" Boo asked, extremely confused.

"No," Charlie chuckled and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm just frustrated."

"Well, try," Wolfgang said. "You've worked with dragons in Romania and they are different from American dragons. Maybe you can communicate."

"If there's a dragon behind the wall I don't see it communicating at all," Charlie argued.

"But something intelligent reached out and grabbed Dr. Preston. It could have gotten any of us. Why the only woman in the room?" Wolfgang pointed out.

"Oh, screw this, I'm going in!" Boo cried as he made his way to the back wall.

The four men searched every inch of the back wall but they could not find the tiniest crack or crevice. Charlie used every disillusioning spell he could think of and a few he made up, but the wall would not budge. It was as if they had dreamed the lights and the opening and the fact that Sheila Preston had been sucked away from them.

"Maybe it opens once or twice a day, you know like when it needs to feed," Mike said. "Oh crap, that's not good."

"I'm just wondering what we're going to tell Dr. Smith," Wolfgang said.

"Do you think he'll notice?" Boo asked.

"Probably not," Charlie said. "He'd be too busy knocking people out of the way so he can get his photograph taken. What a dick."

"Well, I for one believe that she isn't dead and that we'll find her behind that wall," Mike said pointing to the wall.

"Right," Boo said, "And I'm going to play seeker for the Reds."

"I don't believe she's dead, either," Charlie said. "And I believe we will find her."

"Or her bones," Wolfgang piped in.

"Her charred bones," Boo interjected.

"We'd better get back to the camp before the muggles come looking for us," Charlie said. "It's very important that we don't lose any more of them."

"The disillusioning charm will work for another day, I think, so nobody's going to wander in here. Someone should stay here tonight on the off chance that Dr. Preston shows up," Mike said.

Everyone nodded. And to no one's surprise, they all volunteered to stay behind. They finally decided to take shifts and guard the cave. They were hopeful that the back would open up again and they would be able to explore the unknown.

They drew lots and Charlie and Boo were the first watch. He tried to keep his enthusiasm up but as the hours wore on, he was becoming doubtful that Sheila was alive. Boo was convinced that the light show was bait for any unsuspecting prey that may wander into the cave. Charlie didn't want to believe that, but it made more sense to him that anything else he could come up with.

They talked about why the 'light', as they called it, only grabbed Sheila. Maybe there was a reason for that. The fact was that each of the wizards was armed with his wands and Sheila was the only one vulnerable. Well, sooner or later, the wall would open again and they were determined to be there. It was incredibly dangerous, but they were all excited about the prospect of finding that new dragon and they were willing to take the risks.

**A/N: Again, I'm a bad person for not updating as quickly as I should have. I promise to do better. Rita**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Charlie and Boo's shift inside the cave was unsurprisingly short; Mike came in only two hours later. Boo was about to tell him that he wasn't going anywhere when Mike said that everyone had been looking for Dr. Preston and the camp suspected foul play.

"Now they are looking for you, Charlie, since you were the last one seen with her. I think someone called the authorities."

Boo shrugged. "So, we'll confund them and no one will be the wiser."

"Where's Wolfgang?" Charlie asked.

"He took off when everyone began asking questions. They were crowding around him, which you know makes him nervous. I'm surprised he didn't change right in front of them. It wasn't pretty and it kind of makes us all look guilty."

"We have got to find her," Charlie said, striking the cave wall with his fist.

"Wolfgang had an idea," Mike said reluctantly. "He wants to bring Dawn in here and see if the cave reacts like it did with Dr. Preston."

"Who's Dawn?" Boo asked.

Charlie rolled his eyes. "She's one of the interns," he said. "Don't you remember?"

"Oh right, right. Sorry, man," Boo said.

"We can't do that!" Charlie protested. "Is he crazy?"

"It sounds crazy, I know," Mike said. "But he thinks we'll be better prepared since we know what _could_ happen. He thinks she'll be perfectly safe."

"No! Four adult wizards couldn't protect one tiny muggle and now we're supposed to just throw another woman to the dragons?" Charlie was livid.

"Calm down, bro," Mike said. "Think about it. Dawn's a wizard. Granted, not a very smart one, but at least she's like us; she knows a hell of a lot more about dragons than the other one. I think it's worth a shot."

"Mike's got a point," Boo agreed. "I think we should talk to her and tell her what's going on and if she agrees, fine; if not we'll come up with something else. Right now we're not doing anything, and we have no idea how Sheila's doing."

"That's true," Charlie agreed. "But we have to be honest, let her know the danger."

"Absolutely," Mike and Boo said together.

"You should talk to her," Mike said.

"Why me?" he asked. "I think Wolfgang should do it."

"He'd just scare her off, Charlie. You're the celebrity."

While that logic made absolutely no sense to Charlie, he agreed to speak to Dawn. He wasn't anxious about leaving the cave, in case something happened while he was gone, so he talked Mike and Boo into going with him.

The three wizards snuck out of the cave quietly and made their way to the main tent that the wizards had erected. There was virtually nothing for the interns to do so to keep them out of trouble and away from the muggles, they were instructed to stay in their tent unless they were called upon.

The interns looked up expectantly when Charlie and the others entered.

"How's it goin'?" Charlie asked casually.

"We're good. What's going on outside? Someone banged on the tent looking for you a little while ago. We didn't say anything. We used a disillusioning charm to hide."

"That's fine," Charlie said, distracted. "Uh, Dawn, can I talk to you outside for a moment?" He gave her his most winning smile, but he was afraid he'd frightened her because she jumped when he said her name.

She turned beet red and almost fell over Dave, one of the other interns when she shot up out of her chair. "Of course, Charlie," she said struggling over his name.

He started to feel bad about what he was about to ask her because he knew she was a big Quidditch fan and he had caught her reading a fan magazine with his and Gretchen's picture on it. The moment they were outside, Mike and Boo stood next to her. Boo, who was a scary looking man was smiling, which seemed to frighten her even more.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"Uh, Dawn," Charlie began, but he could bring himself to say anything else. The danger was too great for her. He knew that all he had to do was ask and she would come running.

"_Al diablo_, Charlie, you are such a _pendejo_" Boo said. "You want to go see a dragon?" He asked Dawn.

Her eyes lit up. "Of course I do! Did you find the new dragon? Where is it? Are you going to tell the others?" She was babbling.

"Okay, hold on. Of course we're going to tell the others, but right now we have to find it. It's in a cave and we need you to draw it out," Mike said.

"Okay! Sure! Let's go," she said.

"Wait; there is something we probably, we need to tell you," Charlie said. "It may be dangerous and we're not sure if we can protect you."

That stopped her. "What? What do you mean you don't know if you can protect me?"

Charlie took a deep breath. "Well, we sort of lost Dr. Preston in the cave and we _think_ maybe you being in there might just help get her back."

"I don't understand," she said.

"Do you trust me?" Charlie asked.

"Of course I do," she responded.

"Then I need for you to come with us back to the cave. I'm not promising this will work, but we have to try. We're not even one hundred percent sure that there's a dragon," he said placing a hand on her shoulder. "It may be very dangerous."

Dawn swallowed hard and then nodded. "Of course I want to help."

"Thank you," Charlie said. He kissed her cheek and her knees buckled under her.

Mike and Boo steadied her. "This way," Mike said, walking her toward the cave. Charlie stayed by her side until they passed through the opening. The cave was dark, except for a stream of light that came from a line at the bottom of the back wall. It looked like a garage door that was almost closed. They couldn't be sure if it was opening or closing.

Immediately everyone pulled out their wands and stood and waited for something to happen. Slowly the back cave wall began to rise, pouring bright burnt orange light into the small room. Dawn made a gasping noise and the men looked at her. She stared at the light, mesmorized. She started to walk toward it; Charlie grabbed her arm, but she shook it off.

"Don't!" he shouted at her.

She ignored him and continued toward the light. "I'm coming," she said as another light beam began to encircle her. Thinking quickly, the men surrounded her, holding on to her. They weren't trying to pull her back, but merely held on so that where ever she was going; hopefully they would go as well.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The light was blinding; a rumble sounding like a small earthquake shook them. The men held onto Dawn and they were suddenly pulled toward the back wall. The sound was deafening but no one dared release their grasps. Right before the blinding light hit them, Charlie thought, 'this is a bad idea.'

The next thing Charlie knew, he was sprawled on a giant slick, black rock overlooking an underground pool filled with what Charlie hoped was water. It wasn't entirely pitch-black inside the cave; there were patches of light further in the cave. Because of the darkness, he could not determine how far he was above the ground, but from where he looked, he figured it was at least twenty feet.

He felt around for his wand, but it was nowhere near him. It appeared it had fallen into the water.

"Shit!" he said loudly, the sound echoing all around him. "_Accio_, wand," he tried, but the wand didn't move.

He heard a moaning sound and mild cursing. He recognized Mike and Boo's voices. He looked around to see if he could see them, but he had to wait until his eyes got used to the low light.

"Mike!" he called.

"I'm here, Charlie. Everyone all right?"

"Do you have your wand?" he asked.

"_Lumos._" The end of Mike's wand illuminated, giving off enough a soft glow. He held it up and located Charlie. "Hey, you okay?" he asked, struggling to get up. "Ricardo? Are you all right?"

Boo groaned louder. "I lost my wand; I think my arm's broken. Shit!"

"Dawn!" Charlie called out.

The men held their breaths waiting on a sound from Dawn, but the only sound they heard was the dripping of water.

"Mike, get me down," Charlie said and Mike pointed his wand at Charlie, levitating him safely to the cave floor. Once on terra firma, he ran to the pool and fished out his wand. He then went looking for Dawn and Sheila while Mike ministered to Boo's badly battered arm.

With wand in hand, Charlie went to explore the rest of the cave. It was vast and he couldn't see the end of it, but figured that the cave went downward, which he found to be correct. He decided to explore the lower level and come back for Mike and Boo. Not the smartest ideas, but he felt personally responsible for Dawn and Sheila's disappearances and he wanted to find them without putting his friends in danger.

As he walked further and further into the abyss, he started thinking about Romania and the dragon sanctuary where he work prior to moving to America. The dragons were different there than the desert dwellers he had become familiar with at the North American Dragon Preserve. The species of European and Asian dragons were more spiritual and mythical. They had a connection with magic. He felt that something was different and related somehow to the dragon stories he had read about in Asia and Japan. There was absolutely no proof of that per se, but it was a feeling and Charlie was not one to ignore his instincts which had saved his neck on more than one occasion.

As he walked further into the depths of the caves, he heard a tinkling sound like wind chimes. He reached a fork in the path and stopped to figure out which path to take. He turned left and the sound grew softer; turning right the sound seemed to get louder so he cautiously proceeded up the slick, twisty trail. The music continued but at one point his pounding heart nearly drowned out the sound.

Further on, he heard a moaning sound and saw what he thought was a body lying to the side of the road.

"Dawn?" he said, quietly not wanting to make his presence known by who or what ever may be waiting for him.

"Charlie? Oh thank God," she said struggling to sit up.

He ran to her and helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" he asked.

"I think so. Nothing hurts yet," she said brushing off the small pebbles that lined the path. "Is everyone else okay?" She groaned when she took a step.

"Ricardo broke his arm, but Mike and I are fine. What's wrong?" he asked.

"I landed on my bottom," she said, rubbing her back side. "Good thing it's well padded." The joke relieved the flush of fear and stress she had been holding in.

Charlie chuckled. "You have a very nice bottom," he started. She blushed. "Not that I was looking at it," he finished quickly.

She laughed again. She looked around the cave. "What is this place?" she asked.

Charlie shrugged. "The more important question may be, 'how do we get out of here?'. But while we're here, we may as well look for our new dragon. I feel something in my bones. Do you feel it?"

She looked at him oddly. "Like what? The dampness? The oppressing heat?"

"That's right, exactly. The heat! What does that remind you of?"

"Uh? Hell?" she asked fanning her face with her hand.

Charlie laughed out loud. "I was thinking of a nesting pod, but you're probably right. Now that I found you, we'd better get back to the others. They'll kill me if we find anything without them."

By the time Charlie and Dawn made it back to the pool and Mike and Boo, who had completely recovered from his broken arm, the men were anxious to get started with their hunt. They were extremely excited about the change in climate in the cave and were almost one hundred percent sure they had discovered a nesting pod.

Mike, who had more common sense than the others combined reiterated Charlie's question about how they were supposed to get out of the cave when the time came.

"I have a good feeling about this," Charlie and Boo said together while Dawn was saying, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Mike just shrugged. "We'll see when the time comes. Do either of you have a plan?"

"I think we should separate and each take a section and then meet up later," Boo suggested.

Charlie shook his head. "No, I think we should stick together. Merlin knows how far this cave goes back."

"I agree with Charlie," Dawn said.

The three men looked at Dawn like they'd forgotten she was with them. "Oh, right, right," Mike said. "Charlie's right, I say we stick together." He nodded toward Dawn. "We don't want to lose another one."

The other men agreed.

The first thing we need to do is see if we can find Sheila," Mike said.

"Of course! I have a feeling if she's alive, that's where she is." Charlie said. He took a long breath and exhaled. "This is very familiar to me and I have no idea why. It's feels like something I read a long time ago in Hogwarts. Something Professor Kettleburn gave me. Damn! I wish could remember what it was." He shook his head in frustration.

Dawn was the only one who nodded knowingly. "That's where you went to school."

Charlie groaned. That was something a fan would know. He didn't need a fan right now; he needed a dragon wrangler.

"I'm sure it'll come to you," Boo said throwing his arm around Charlie's shoulder.

"I hope so," he said. "It may be something that could save our lives."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Charlie and the others took the path where he had discovered Dawn and the four of the walked quietly toward the sounds further down in the cave, not wanting to announce themselves to whatever waited for them. Dawn stuck with Charlie, occasionally holding on to his arm when she heard a strange noise or thought she saw something move.

Charlie was still fighting his guilt feelings about dragging her into this, so he became the attentive escort. He was starting to believe she probably wasn't as terrified as she made out when she kept taking every opportunity to snuggle in his arms at the first noise or movement. He was also beginning to doubt her sincerity as a potential dragon wrangler.

Suddenly Charlie stopped dead in his tracks causing Dawn to bump into him and fall. She squeaked out a surprised "Oof," and held her hand out for Charlie to pull her up, but he looked at her, turned toward where they had just come and took off running.

"Wait!" she shouted struggling to her feet.

Charlie turned back, hesitated for a moment, then continued running. "I'll be back," he promised shouting over his shoulder. "Stay down."

"Wait!" she repeated. "Don't leave me. I'll come with you."

He didn't answer but he stopped for a second to let her catch up. It took them less than three minutes to find Mike and Boo. They were surprised when he ran up to them.

"What's the matter? Did you find something?"Mike asked.

Charlie shook his head as Dawn tried desperately to catch her breath. "I remembered something from the book Professor Kettleburn gave me. I'm afraid that Sheila's dead. There is a breed of dragon that uses similar techniques as a lure for food."

Mike winced. "Yeah, I was afraid of that."

"Well, Charlie, we're all basically dragon fodder anyway," Boo said. "You knew that."

Of course that was true. All dragons did was eat, sleep, and make baby dragons. They ate anything that moved, moo-ed, baa-ed or whistled "Dixie". American dragons, at least were mindless eating machines.

"Yes, I know, but how many dragons do you know that use intelligence to lure their food?"

"None," Boo conceded.

"Maybe some of the European or Chinese varieties," Mike said. "Definitely not the lot at the Preserve. So the dragon we're looking for ain't from around these parts."

"The only ones that are faintly intelligent are the verdemalo and that's only when they are connected with demons."

Mike and Boo nodded and then shuttered. All three had had experiences in the Mexican desert with demon armies when they fought a very evil dark lord named Ares.

"I remember reading about ancient dragons that had human-like intelligence. They communicated with dark wizards and were worshipped as gods. The dragons were wiped out by an early crusade because the dark wizards used to sacrifice humans to the dragons, which didn't go over too well with the muggles who were used as sacrifices."

"I imagine not."

"So somehow the dragons which everyone thought were destroyed turns up in a cave somewhere in a mountain in North America?" Mike asked.

Charlie shrugged. "I didn't say that. We don't even know if there are dragons in here."

"Well, _hermano_," Boo said. "Something's in here."

The others nodded in agreement. Finally Dawn spoke up, "I could have been eaten!" The realization finally penetrated. "Oh my God!"

Mike and Boo ignored her; Charlie gave her a weak smile.

"You brought me in hear knowing I was going to be killed!" Dawn's voice went up an octave.

"We told you it might be dangerous," Mike reminded her.

"But-"

Suddenly there was a great booming sound coming from the back of the cave. It sounded a lot like cannon fire or drums beating. Immediately everyone except Dawn took off toward the sound, wands drawn. They made it to what they imagined was the end of the cave. The wall was glowing an eerie green that turned to turquoise. They held their breath and waited. A thin bright light appeared in the middle of the wall and it began to get wider and wider until the whole room was lit up. They couldn't clearly see beyond the light, but they saw movement. Charlie looked at his friends and held his breath. The drum beating continued until a crescendo when finally there was silence. A fog that had surrounded them receded leaving only a residual.

Charlie swore he heard his name being called, and when he looked around the other two men must have been hearing their names being called as well. He didn't understand, but then he realized the sound was in his head. He was frightened but intrigued. He felt drawn to the sound and the light and he, along with Mike and Boo started walking forward.

"Don't!" Dawn screamed from behind them. "It's a trap!"

But the men ignored her pleading. Charlie had to see what was inside the light. He felt that all the questions he had his whole life were going to be answered and all he had to do was go inside. His last thought before walking into the light was, "This is a really bad idea."

**A/N: This is my last FanFiction story. Sorry it ended on such a sour note, but I've had an epiphany, so I'm going to go do grown up things for now own. Love you all ~Rita**


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